Ignition device.



L. SANCHEZ.

' v.IGNITION DEVICE'. APPLjc/mon man ooms, 19u.

1,274,941. Patentedmlg. 6,1918.

vl/endl: l I

' me' 1% MQ@ rra sur LEONARDO SANCHEZ, OF HABANA, CUBA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-THIRD TO ALEJANDRO ANGULO AND ONE-THIRD TO GUILLERMO CASTRO LOPEZ, BOTI-I OF VIIJ-IBANA,

CUBA.

IGNITION DEVICE.

To all whom t may concern:` j

Be it known that I, LEONARDO SANCHEZ, a citizen of the `Republic of Cuba, and a resident ofHabana, Cuba, have invented certain new and useful Improvementsin Ignition Devices, of which the following is Y a specification.

This Vinvention relates broadly to the art of internal combustion engines, and Vmore particularly to an ignition device for such engines. Y l The principal object of the present invention is to' provide acomplete 'ignition del to provide anigniter of this type having meanslfor advancing or retarding the time of formation' of theigniting flame.

These and other objects together with their attendant advantages will be apparent as the invention becomes better understood by reference to thel accompanying specification, andthe drawings forming a part thereof, throughoutv the several views of which like characters of reference have been used to indicate like parts. v p,

Y In thedrawings, `Figure l isa longitudinalisectional View of my improved igniter. Fig. 2 is a detail view -of the advancing andretarding'mechanism. f I am Vaware that ,attempts have" heretofore been madeto eliminate the electric ignition system'fconunonly employed in connection with 'internal combustion engines, by the substitution of a suitable pyrophoric material'l in combination with mechanically actuated means for striking the same to produce 'a spark at the proper time. .Such

means has customarily been actuated from the crank shaft of the engine thereby necessitating a modication of the engine con- Specicaton of Letters Patent.

Patented Aeg. e, 191s.

Application filed october 11, 1917'. serial iva-leases.

struction toI a greaterl or less extent tov accommodate for the attachmentl of an igniter of this type. In the present construction the igniter is entirely contained within the body'of'a plugl adapted to be fastened into the enginey cylinder in the ordinary manner in placeofthe usual spark plug, thereby kmaking it unnecessary to in any manner change thel engine construction.

vReferring more particularly to the drawings, Ihave indicate'dthe'usual engine cylinder 1 having a piston 2 reciprocating therein,jand provided with the well known openingft for fthe reception of the igniting'device., In the present instance the engine is shown vas'provided with my improved igniter, which comprises a main body or plug 5 'having an opening 6 extending longitudinally through the central portion thereof for receiving `a rod '-7 vadapted to be reciprocated therein,4 and normally held in depressed position by the spring 8 bearing at one end against the upper end of the rod'p7, and at its opposite end against the removable cap or plug 9. 'In such position the lower end 10 of the rod'is adapted to'project a considerable distance `into the engine cylinder so' as\to .lie in thepath Aof movement of' the piston and beengaged vby the piston upon reciprocation thereof; The eX- tent to whichtheendl() projects into the cylinder, and consequently the time at which itV is'engag'ed by the pis'tonyis determined by means ofanvveccentric 11 suitablyV secured to one end 'of the shaft 12 .journaledr in the bushinglft of the igniterfplug, and having ans operating thumb jnu'tfl. for varying the position thereof." Movement of the eccentric is transmitted vto Vthe'rodr by means of the shoulderv 16 formed 1above thel'central reduced portion I17 of. therodf?. [It will be apparent that upon' turning the eccentric, that'thefrod 7 may'beraised or lowered a corresponding distance', thereby varying the time: at which the is'engaged and Aactuated by the engine pistonforthepurpose hereinafter more fully pointed out.

grugated or'ribbed portionlS adapted dur- Vsuch as cerium or the like, which is held in engagement therewith by means of the spring 20. The pencil of pyrophoric material is mounted within the bushing 21 having its outer end closed by a cap 22 forming a housing for the spring 20 and preventing the escapeof the combustible mixture from the engine cylinder.

A supplemental passageway Q4 permits the combustible Charge to enter the body of the plug so as to surround the rod 7 and the pencil of pyrophoric material. Access to this passageway may be had by removing the plug 25. If desired, a priming pet cock of any usual construction may be substituted for the plug 25 so that a combustible Huid may be injected directly into the body of the plug. t

It is believed from the foregoing that the operation of my improved igniter will be obvious. Upon the down stroke of the engine piston a suitable charge of combustible mixture is drawn or forced into the engine cylinder, which charge is compressed upon the following up stroke of thepiston. Just about the time of compression dead center the piston comes into contact with the end 10 of the rod 7 and reciprocates the same so that the roughened portion is forced across the end of the pencil or body of pyrophoric material. This in turn produces a hot spark which ignites the combustible charge contained in the passageway 24 leading to the main body of the charge in the engine cylinder. By manually adjusting the eccentric 1l the spark may be advanced or retarded to accommodate the engine for various speeds and conditions of operation.

It will be apparent that any pyrophoric material may be employed, but I preferably use a material the particles of which do not act as an abradant when thrown of by the action of the igniter. For increasing the life of this material it may be combined,

alloyed or coated with any desired material capable of increasing the strength and life thereof. Iron and copper have been found to be useful in this connection.

`While I have described the preferred embodiment of my invention, it will be apparent that changes may be made therein within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

What I claim is- 1. An igniter for internal combustion engines, comprising a main body portion having means for securing the same to an engine cylinder, a reciprocatory rod carried by said plug` and adapted to project into the engine cylinder in the path of travel of the piston therein so as to be reciprocated by the action of said piston, and a Y body of pyrophoric material adapted to be engaged by said rod upon reciprocation thereof.

2. An igniter for internal combustion engines,comprising a plug adapted to be secured into an engine cylinder, a rod carried by said plug and adapted to extend into the engineJ cylinder in the path of travel of the piston therein so as to be reciprocated thereby, a body of pyrophoric material adapted tobe engaged by said rod upon reciprocation thereof to produce a spark, and manually controlled means for adjusting said rod.

3. An igniter for internal combustion engines, comprising a main plug adapte-dy to be secured in an engine cylinder and having an opening extending `longitudinally thereof, a rod mounted in said opening and adapted to project into the engine cylinder in the path of travel of the piston therein so as to be reciprocated thereby, a body of pyrophoric material in contact with said rod so as to produce a spark upon reciprocation thereof, and an eccentric adjustable at will for controlling the position of said rod to advance or retard the spark produced by the igniter. Y

4. An igniter for internal combustio-n engines, comprising` a plug adapted to be secured in an engine cylinder, a reciprocatory member carried thereby and'extending into the path of the piston in said cylinder, and a body of pyrophoric material in contact with said member so as lto produce a spark upon reciprocation thereof.

5. An igniter for internal combustion engines, comprising a plug havingmeans for securing the same in an engine cylinder, a reciprocatory member carried by said plug and extending into the path of the'` piston in said cylinder, a body of pyrophoric material in contact with said member so as to produce a spark upon reciprocation thereof, and means adjustable at will for varying the amount of reciprocation ofy said member.

6. An igniter for vinternal combustion engines, comprisinga main body portion having means for securing the same to an engine cylinder, a reciprocatory rod carried by said plug and adapted to project intothe engine cylinder in the path of travel of the piston therein so as-to be reciprocated by the action of said piston, and a second rod adapted to be engaged by said first mentioned rod upon reciprocation thereof, one of said rods being provided with pyrophoric material so as to produce a spark upon relative movement between said rods.

LEONARDO SANCHEZ r MARTINEZ-MALO.

opies of this lpatent may be obtained for ve cents each. by addressing the Commissioner of. lvatents,

Washington, D. G. 

